Don’t let the words “vegetarian” and “vegan” scare you — these meals are just as delicious as their meat-laden counterparts. They can also be a great way to help you drop some weight as you ring in the new year. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, or you’re just looking for some quality meatless recipes, we’ve got you covered with this delectable selection right here.
Vegetables Wellington
A traditional beef Wellington consists of a hunk of steak wrapped in a puff pastry and baked, but this vegetarian twist amps up the veggie content and adds loads of flavor — and you won’t even miss the meat. Our recipe for Vegetables Wellington provides a virtual cornucopia of vegetables, but you can easily sub in some of your favorites that you just happen to have on hand. Crumbled goat cheese sends this dish to new heights, but feta would totally work (or just leave the cheese out). You only have to make sure your selected vegetables are soft and ready to go before wrapping in the pastry.
Vegan tofurky with mushroom stuffing
Yes, tofurky is a thing, and whether you’re vegan or not, it actually makes for an amazingly tasty meal. This recipe for vegan tofurky with mushroom stuffing, which features a hearty mushroom stuffing, will likely exceed your expectations. It’s loaded with savory flavors courtesy of the miso-flavored tofu, which is wrapped around the enticing stuffing and its bevy of tasty ingredients (cremini mushrooms, bread, pecans, onion, garlic and herbs). The stuffing is infused with vegetable stock and white wine, adding additional notes of flavor. Don’t forget the glaze, made of maple syrup, soy sauce and spices, and we also show you how to create a cremini mushroom gravy.
Vegan burritos
Burritos are one of the more versatile meals you can make. The possibilities for fillings are endless, which makes them an easy menu item to convert into a perfectly pleasing vegan dish of delight. This recipe for vegan burritos, from Blogtastic Food, has all the crucial components of a delicious meal, including loads of flavor and a variety of healthy ingredients. You’ll use burrito basics, including tortillas and black beans, and you’ll create your own salsa (don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think) and fresh guac. Caramelize some onions and red peppers, and wrap it all up with some cooked rice and you’re ready to go.
Oatmeal muffins
Muffins aren’t always the healthiest thing in the world, and they’re not often vegan. However, we have some fantastic news for you — Chocolate Covered Katie has solved both aspects with one delicious oatmeal muffin recipe. These delectable muffins are full of nutrition, including bananas, applesauce and — of course — oats. You won’t find any butter or eggs in this recipe at all. Instead, the fruit, plus coconut (or vegetable) oil helps keep the ingredients of the muffin together. Once you sit down to enjoy your muffins, you’ll feel better knowing that you have a sumptuous treat on hand that will not crash your New Year’s resolution.
Vegan burrito bowl with cashew chipotle cream sauce
A healthy bowl of goodness comes your way with this incredible vegan burrito bowl from Foolproof Living. Loaded with flavor and a unique cashew chipotle cream sauce, this dish is easy to whip up with a little advance planning (mainly because the cashews should be soaked for at least two hours before you get to fixin’, or overnight). The sauce gives this meal a delightful kick, and the bowl itself is loaded with a variety of veggies and spices. You’ll serve it over brown rice and garnish with a variety of fresh chopped veggies.
Vegan tofu breakfast burritos
There’s nothing like waking up to a hearty meal, but breakfast doesn’t always have to include meat or animal products at all (even if bacon and eggs instantly spring to mind). Jo Cooks shows us how to create a scintillating vegan tofu breakfast burrito that will nourish the body without all the extra saturated fat. This recipe basically shows you how to create an eggless egg salad, which transforms some extra-firm tofu into a realistic egg lookalike. This consists of regular “egg salad” ingredients like mustard, but adds a bunch of other textures and tastes that elevate this breakfast burrito to your go-to brekkie meal.
Asparagus quesadilla lasagna
This is a super unique (and super tasty) way to combine quality vegetables into a stackable lasagna dish that’s made of quesadillas — yes, really. Pinch of Yum shows us how to create asparagus and peas into a whole wheat tortilla (resplendent with cheese) to fashion one of the most interesting (and healthy) quesadillas we’ve ever seen. Once you’ve created this masterpiece, you’ll go one step further by chopping it into wedges, and then, of course, you’ll stack them, and suddenly there will be a delicious, vegetarian serving of lasagna on your plate. Who knew that lasagna could be so healthy and fun?
Artichoke rosemary tart with polenta crust
An artichoke rosemary tart with polenta crust is a superb alternative to quiche Lorraine. This tart recipe, courtesy of Queen of my Kitchen, contains typical quiche ingredients, like cheese and egg, but it is also loaded with vegetarian delights, including Greek yogurt and artichoke hearts. It’s rounded out by a polenta crust, which you’ll probably find surprisingly easy to pull together. Polenta, by the way, is a coarse grind of cornmeal and it makes a first-rate tart crust — and you won’t even need your rolling pin. The artichoke cheese filling comes together nicely with spices like rosemary, salt and pepper, and once completed, it is a delight to serve (it won’t fall apart before it gets to your plate!).
Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas
Black beans are mild and versatile, which means they’re a welcome (and healthy!) addition to any meal. So, too, is the sweet potato, which, when combined with the beans, corn, enchilada sauce, garlic and tasty spices, come together for an incredible vegetarian meal that’s sure to please. Real Housemoms shows us how to create a black bean and sweet potato enchiladas dish that’s complete with healthy ingredients that will help keep your New Year’s resolutions on track. There are a few extra ingredients that you’ll garnish your enchiladas with, such as tomatoes, avocados and cilantro. Once assembled, this tasty dish only takes around 15 minutes to bake, so you’ll be enjoying it before you know it.
Broccoli and cheese quiche
Tastes Better From Scratch gives us this phenomenal recipe for broccoli cheese quiche. While the original recipe does call for bacon, you can easily make it vegetarian by simply leaving it out. This recipe includes great quiche standbys like eggs and cheese, and adds nourishing bits of broccoli along with a solid helping of green onions, garlic, salt and pepper. It’s recommended to make a homemade pie crust for this dish, but we won’t tell if you find a premade one at the store. This vegetarian meal is hearty and may become a mainstay in your dinner rotation from here on out.
Vegetarian and vegan meals are an excellent way to stay on track with your New Year’s resolutions. Eating better means choosing food with loads of nutrition while cutting back on simple carbs and empty calories, and these choices make doing so far easier. Expand your menu and try something new — you may just love it!
